One of the fastest growing crimes in the United States is now ‘identity theft’. Virtually unheard of 5 years ago, this technical crime relies on the easy access of information such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, bank statements, etc. on a computer's hard drive or other data storage device.
With personal computers now reaching near saturation levels, much of this type of information is now stored in personal computers, which offer little or no protection of this data. In addition, the proliferation of digital devices such as cameras, and digital communication such as email, mean that more and more personal information, as well as accounting information is now stored on the average home computer. So prevalent is digital storage that virtually every search warrant executed now results in the removal of all personal computers from the target residence or business. In most cases with little or no effort, this information becomes available to law enforcement or worse, to a party with criminal intent.
In many cases, users of personal computers may have no idea of the data that is contained on their hard drive. Because of caching programs and use of ‘cookies’, it is possible that pieces of various web pages, including unintended popup-ads, etc. may be stored in ‘temporary’ areas. Users have little control over this data and it may contain text and images that do not pertain to their normal use of the Internet. Under legal scrutiny such materials may be potentially damaging.
Businesses have recognized the importance of data security for many years but recognition of the problem has not resulted in many viable solutions for keeping data away from intruders. Currently, businesses protect data using firewall technology and internal security profiles which act as electronic gatekeepers, insuring that only authorized parties have access to specific information. If employed correctly, such technologies can be effective but it is rarely employed correctly. On a daily basis, newspapers run stories of information being stolen, published or destroyed. In some cases the perpetrator is external but it is just as often an existing employee or another person with internal access.
Improper disposal of data assets is a missing security link for many companies. A recent computer industry journal reported that a sample test of personal computers resold on one of the largest online public actions had a very large percentage of about 70 percent of personal data, including corporate and web surfing images.
Governments and military organizations should have the greatest need for data security, yet they appear to be no better, or possibly worse prepared than corporations. The recent story of missing notebook computers from limited access facilities indicates that these organizations suffer many of the same problems as corporations, only with data involving national security. Although the existence of leading edge ‘secret’ technology is a possibility at certain governmental levels and installations, for the most part the vast majority of governmental data is stored on the same type of systems used by major corporations.
A recent invention is the development of ‘data eraser’ software, which is intended to make deleted files ‘unrecoverable’ as well as eliminate the extraneous data that is created and stored by many applications, especially those involving the Internet. The efficacy of these products vary, and although some are capable of removing specific files to a point that they cannot be recovered, most are cumbersome and time consuming to use for the average computer user. Moreover, such programs must first be initiated, time does not always permit initiation. The computer may not remember to initiate the program and further, the program must have time to run and perform its functions.
There exists a need for a device and method for quickly destroying, generally instantaneously and without significant user intervention, data contained on a storage medium, such as a hard drive, upon command or some pre-determined trigger event.
The present embodiments meet these needs.
The present embodiments are detailed below with reference to the listed Figures.